Meanwhile in Poland Jade tries to bag a few more points

You've got to hand it to Jade - she's racking up the airmiles in a bid to gain a few more precious points. Poland was the latest country on her hitlist of European nations. She appeared on the Polish version of Strictly Come Dancing, and went down a storm.

Maybe, come Saturday 16 May, we'll be hearing "And finally from the Polish jury, 12 points to the United Kingdom." Let's hope so!

Will Regina reign supreme?

Today's rehearsals ended with the song from Bosnia-Herzegovina, and what a great song it is.

Regina are all dressed in white against a primarily red backdrop, using some of the visuals from their preview video. Vocals are excellent, and throw in some drums and a red flag and you've got a stirring performance.

This is probably the safest bet to qualify of all the songs in this first semi-final, and is a definite contender to take this year's Eurovision crown.

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA - 1st Rehearsal

Deja Vu from Chiara!

Some things remain constant in Eurovision - quirky performances, key changes, frock horrors, and Chiara standing still on stage belting out a ballad!

This could be 1998 or even 2005...and if only it were. "What If We" is a pale comaparison to her two previous entries. She does exactly what you expect though - performs very well and doesn't need any backing singers. The backdrop had an underwater city theme to it, which didn't add anything to the performance and we've heard that the Maltese were unhappy with it. So, no doubt it will be changed.

Malta have arranged and re-arranged this song to try to bring it up to Chiara's previous high standards, and they have done very well. It's strong, but still lacks a certain something. This will qualify thanks to Chiara's incredible vocals, and will be up there on the night.

Here's Chiara's 1st effort....

MALTA - 1st Rehearsal

All the fun of the fair with Portugal

Eurovision's a funny old game, isn't it? For us the Finnish song is head and shoulders above the Portuguese one, but we're pretty impressed with how Flor-de-lis' entry came across today.

The setting is spot on - bright colours (yellows and pastel shades) and the video projection almost gives the impression that you are standing by a big carousel at a fair. It's carnival, it's fun and after a number of entries who performed in subdued lighting, this really stands out.

For us this was always on the cusp of qualifying, but now we think it's pretty much a dead cert to get through to the Saturday night.

Rehearsal video here....

PORTUGAL - 1st Rehearsal

Juggling with fire....it's Finland

We love the Finnish song from Waldo's People this year. It ranks up there with "Eläköön Elämä" as one of Finland's best ever entries.

The problem, of course, with this rap/dance track is that it's hard for the live performance to sound as good as the recorded version, but we know Waldo and his mates will give it their best shot.

At today's rehearsal Waldo is accompanied by the 3 female vocalists who sing the chorus, all 3 of whom are dressed in very short skirts (Gina G would be proud). There are also two bare-chested guys doing some impressive fire-juggling.

It's difficult to work out what's on the video screens behind, but the main colours seem to be white, red, gold and black (very 80s). We're not quite sure whether this is the right look - we were hoping for something a little more 'street'.

This is one entry that we can't wait to see on screen.

FINLAND - 1st Rehearsal

Where's the Party?

This year's Romanian entry contains one of our favourite lyrics of the year: "I'm gonna start my weekend with gin tonic and lime." Sounds a great idea!

We've always thought of this as a party song, and we were expecting the backdrop to be bright and jolly, but, instead, as seen at today's rehearsal, there's a dark, leafless tree with red and white streamers flying from it. What's that about? It reminds us of the setting used for the Finnish and Armenian songs in 2007. It certainly doesn't make us think of the fab shindig that the Balkan girls are supposed to be having.

That said, Elena sounds fine and the choreography is nifty. With a different video background this could be a qualifier, but currently it's all rather subdued.

ROMANIA - 1st Rehearsal

A Dry Eurovision?

According to a Moscow news site, all audience members attending the Eurovision final on 16th will be breathalysed and those that have too much alcohol won't be allowed into the final! Can you imagine?

Read the article here

Next Time are Next Up

FYR Macedonia always used to qualify from the semi-final, but then last year, when the rules were changed, they didn't. And we don't think they will this year either.

Next Time's rock song is pretty average, and the staging seems pretty unremarkable too. The video screens show what looks like different coloured shards of glass moving around. Don't get us wrong - the song is competently performed, and even has a key change (which will please some people), but it just doesn't stand out.

Next Time? Next please!

Rehearsal video here....

FYR MACEDONIA - 1st Rehearsal

Floating on a cloud with Iceland

Eurovision Express has made no secret about the fact that our favourite entry this year comes from Iceland. Yohanna's song, "Is It True?" is a beautiful ballad, and at her first rehearsal this morning she sounded perfect.

The screens depict clouds, birds, a ship with 3 sails and dolphins, creating a dreamy feel, highly suitable for this emotional song.

Yohanna is supported by a guitarist, a celloist (although there was no cello at the rehearsal) and three backing singers, including Fridrik (from Euroband) and Hera Björk (2nd in this year's Danish final).

We're not totally convinced by the dress Yohanna wore today, which appeared to one of Eurovision Express' colour-blind reviewers as orange in hue, but we think there are probably a few more costumes knocking about in Yohanna's suitcase.

If this doesn't qualify for the final then it'll be a travesty!

ICELAND - 1st Rehearsal

Fire, cogs and some stilt-walkers - it's Bulgaria!

The Bulgarian entry, "Illusion", got some of that country's musicians in a right flap, and there were protests about its suitability for Eurovision.

So anticipation was rife about how Krassimir, the song's performer, would sound once he got to Moscow. Well at this morning's rehearsal we got the answer - he is as high pitched as always, but in tune. Europe will either find the voice unique or, after a little while, slightly grating.

The backdrop for the song is a mixture of flames and industrial cogs. Krassimir stands at the front, flanked by 3 female singers, whilst a male/female duo on stilts (very France 2004) perform well-rehearsed choreography behind. The stilt-walkers are a little distracting, although, maybe, that's deliberate.

To be honest we don't see this qualifying.

BULGARIA - 1st Rehearsal

Noa and Mira make a splash for Israel

First up at today's rehearsals are Noa and Mira with "There Must Be Another Way." We have to admit that we were a tad disappointed when this song was selected to represent Israel, as we loved the song that placed second, "Will You Dance With Me?"

But we've got over it, and we reckon Noa and Mira deserve to qualify for the final. The song is good, traditional Eurovision fare: a strong melody expertly delivered by the two girls.

The rehearsal this morning was great. The backdrop involves a water theme and a giant rose. Noa and Mira had a little difficulty with their costumes (both long black dresses) but they took it in good humour, and appear relaxed and confident on stage. There's a nice section when they play a couple of drums (which took us back to Israel 1992 entry, "Ze Rak Sport").

A simple, effective song, presented well - its chances of qualifying are very good.

ISRAEL - 1st Rehearsal

Meanwhile in Dublin....

What on earth has happened to Black Daisy?

Hadise is all heart!

One of the nagging questions since we saw the Turkish video on New Year's Day was...can Hadise sing live? Well, today she answered that question - yes! Turkey's presentation was very much as expected - lots of arms twisting and hips swinging by the singer and her backing dancers. There were pulsating red hearts as the backdrop in a very energetic performance. No doubt Turkey will qualify, but we're not sure if it will be knocking at the door of victory come the 16th!

Here's Hadise's rehearsal ...

TURKEY - 1st Rehearsal

Here come the guitars..It's Andorra and Switzerland!

One of our pre-contest faves is up next - the lovely Susanne for Andorra. Having been dealt a body-blow last week with the announcement that Spain would not be voting in this semi-final, we really needed the Andorran song to stand out. Unfortunately at the moment, it isn't. Susanne starts off holding a huge guitar and has four backing dancers/singers who prominently display no.7 (the song's position in the running order) on their t-shirts. The vocals weren't bad but the whole performance needs a bit of work if it is to get it into the final. Fingers crossed.

Here's the Andorran rehearsal....

ANDORRA - 1st Rehearsal

Next up another one of our faves - Switzerland. And wow when we saw the backdrop - Manhattan/Las Vegas turning into Switzerland, and then the world! The Lovebugs gave a credible performance and this really looks like a qualifier. Switzerland have been one of the favourites in recent years but the live performances have never lived up to expectation. However, this year it looks to be a different story!

Here's the Swiss rehearsal....

SWITZERLAND - 1st Rehearsal

Where's the 'Nor Par'?

Inga and Anush from Armenia next. They stand on a large blue disc throughout the song as 4 females dance around them. The performance and vocals are good, but despite plenty of dancing, the 'official' Nor Par dance doesn't seem to be incorporated into the routine! Maybe they're saving it for the 2nd rehearsal.

As we suspected, this looks like a definite qualifier.

ARMENIA - 1st Rehearsal

From Ice-Cream to Ice-Queen!

For the first time in many years, the Swedish performance differs vastly from that seen at the Melodifestivalen. Gone are the male backing dancers, replaced by five female performers who at this rehearsal were dressed in black. Malena wears a stunning white dress and gives a solid vocal performance, although everything seems a little static.

There are ice castles in the backround which are not utilised to much effect apart from housing the masks that feature in the last section of the song. A sure qualifier, nonetheless, and we're certain the performance will grow.

Here's Malena's performance of La Voix...

SWEDEN - 1st Rehearsal

Ice-Cream Rage...and Elvis!

Owing to accreditation problems, Belarus and Belgium have swapped rehearsal times today so next up was Petr from Belarus. Not one of our faves pre-contest, but so far this is the best rehearsal. There is a lady in an enormous see-though plastic bag on stage, with the obligatory wind-machine in situ. The vocals were good from Petr and overall it was an impressive first rehearsal...But the main event came at the Press conference when the Belarussians decided to give out Ice Cream to the assembled masses. We all know what this leads to! Yes, skin and hair flying. It's never like this at Haagen Dazs.

Here's Petr's rehearsal....

BELARUS - 1st Rehearsal

Next up, Patrick - the Elvis impersonator from Belgium.

There are enough lights on stage to light up all of Moscow for this song. The performance is very much like the preview video, with the word COPYCAT spelt out on the stage floor, but vocally this doesn't sound as good. Maybe it was the frustration of the Belgians having to queue for 2 hours to get their accreditation (which we have yet to experience) but Copycat just wasn't that impressive.

Here's Belgium's first rehearsal....

BELGIUM - 1st rehearsal

Break for lunch now...and up next the much anticipated all-girl version of Sweden!

Day 1 - Montenegro and Czech Republic

Day 1 of rehearsals in Moscow has finally arrived........

So first up was Montenegro. Andrea is joined on stage by a male dancer dressed in white, whose moves are similar to John Travolta circa 1977. Maybe it was first day nerves, but Andrea wasn't on the best form vocally, and as for the male dancer, well, he adds something to the performance, but we're not quite sure exactly what! The stage has a pink backdrop and the singer spends her three minutes wandering around trying to dodge the advances of dancer. A slightly disappointing first rehearsal, but still, it is only Day 1.

Here's the Montenegro rehearsal....

MONTENEGRO 1st REHEARSAL

Next up was Gypsy.cz from the Czech Republic. The set looks quite good for this with a cartoon effect. It's a very busy moving set. However, the song still doesn't impress. There's lots of clapping and shouting for the chorus. A sign on the stage kept floating by stating "Explicit content"...do they know something about Gypsy.cz that we don't?

Here is the rehearsal....

CZECH REPUBLIC - 1st Rehearsal

Countdown to Moscow - Semi-Final 2

Continuing our pre-rehearsal predictions of qualifiers for this year's contest, we turn our attention to Semi-Final 2 on May 14th.
Before we see them in rehearsals next week, we think the following countries will qualify for the Grand Final on 16th May.


Azerbaijan


Norway


Estonia


Ukraine


Ireland


Albania


Greece


Moldova


Denmark


Lithuania


Therefore leaving the following countries out in the cold....

Croatia
Serbia
Latvia
Poland
Cyprus
Slovakia
Slovenia
Netherlands
Hungary

Of course, this may all change when we see them next week!

Euro Cafe Moscow - Details!

News has reached us from OGAE Russia about this year's Eurocafe, which looks set to be one of the major hotspots for OGAE fans to hang out during the build up to this year's Contest.

The Eurocafe is something that's becoming a key part of the Eurovision experience, and is a separate venue from the more established Euroclub, which is usually only open to accredited guests, although this year OGAE fans with their club cards may possibly gain entry to the Euroclub as well (we haven't had confirmation whether this is indeed the case or not).

Eurocafe will be at the restaurant complex Mili (Мили) (above) located in the historical centre of Moscow. OGAE members can enjoy a meal or snack, meet up with friends and hopefully some of this year's entrants, sing their favourite songs with karaoke and generally have a good time!

The official opening of the Eurocafe appears to be on Wednesday 6 May into Thursday 7 May, starting at 00.00 at the official Euroclub - EURODOM (which is a different venue from the Eurocafe and located in a slightly different part of town) with the After Party in Eurocafe from 02.00 a.m.

The Eurocafe will be open 24 hours a day and is located near the Metro station “Kitay-Gorod” at Lubyansky Proezd, 15/2, Restaurant Mili (Мили).

On the ground floor of Eurocafe will be the Mili Travelling Restaurant - a Mediterranean eaterie which also boats a simple summer veranda.

There is a hall on the second floor where you can apparently "try dainty dishes, perform the best hits of Eurovision with karaoke and get wireless Internet connection with your friends who stayed at home".

There will also be a small press centre available at the Eurocafe.

Additionally Mili offers 2 spacious halls which house Chi – a restaurant offering Oriental cuisine, and A Jour – a French cafe-confectionery with "a unique atmosphere, favourable for free and easy communication, home-baked goods, handmade sweets, desserts and ice-cream."

Here's a basic guideline to what's on offer throughout the day and night:

09.00 a.m. – 12.00 a.m. – Breakfast. Price 5 €
12.00 a.m. – 04.00 p.m. – Business-lunch. Price 7 €
04.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. – Dinner. Price from 10 €
11.00 p.m. – 06.00 a.m. – Eurocafe Party (DJ’s sets)

See you at the Eurocafe!

Countdown to Moscow - Semi-Final 1

Next week, Eurovision Express will be setting off for Moscow where we will be reporting live on the rehearsals of Eurovision 2009. In the run-up to our departure, we are picking our pre-rehearsal qualifiers. We will then see if this changes after experiencing the songs live!

So, to start off with, we think, at the moment, the qualifiers from Semi-final 1 will be...

MALTA

ARMENIA

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

MONTENEGRO

FINLAND

SWITZERLAND

SWEDEN

TURKEY

ISRAEL

ICELAND

therefore NOT qualifying would be....

Czech Republic
Belgium
Belarus
Andorra (unfortunately)
Bulgaria
FYR Macedonia
Romania
Portugal

Semi-Final 2 prediction later this week.

Dressed for success?

It's come to Eurovision Express' attention that Jade, the UK's Eurovision representative, will be dressed by British fashion designer, Amanda Wakeley (pictured below)



Now that's cleared up, the next burning question is who will be doing Serbian singer, Marko Kon's hair? Is Nicky Clarke available?

Et finalement, le Royaume Uni, douze points!

Here at Eurovision Express, we've always had a soft spot for Switzerland. We'll even forgive the fact that they beat the UK by one point in 1988, because it was a great song and it was Celine Dion!

Last year our favourite entry was Paolo Meneguzzi's Era Stupendo; we loved DJ Bobo's Vampires Are Alive in 2007; and we reckon this year's song from Lovebugs is great too.

If we trawl back even further, Switzerland has also provided us with gems like Swiss Lady (1977) and Amour, on t'aime (1982).

So we're delighted to hear that OGAE Switzerland, the Swiss fan club, has awarded its douze points to the UK!

Eurovision Express has always done its best to develop strong links with Switzerland.

One of Switzerland's French-speaking commentators, Nicolas Tanner, is no stranger to Eurovision Express - we've rubbed shoulders with him at more contests than we care to remember! Always with an ear for good music and an unbiased approach, we're confident he'll make sure the Swiss public is fully briefed before they pick up their phones to vote. And, of course, if that follows the lead given by their fan club (ie voting for the UK!) then so much the better!

You can follow Nicolas' blog (in French) here.

Svetlana rocks Scala!

It was a night of some superb Eurovision performances at London's Scala Club at the 2nd UK Eurovision Preview Party, and it was all kicked off by the UK entrant from 98 - Imaani - who is expecting a baby in two weeks time! We were on hand in the front row should baby Imaani arrive ahead of plan. Thankfully Imaani didn't go into labour but did take us back to a golden era of songs for the UK - and showed that she hasn't lost any of her sparkle!



The evening was superbly hosted by Nicki French (UK 2000) and BBC presenter Paddy O'Connell. After a great performance by Poland's Lidia and what can only be described as an "odd" mimed performance from Bulgaria's Krassimir, it was Ireland's turn to rock Scala...and rock it they did. Sinead and Black Daisy got a rapturous reception from the fans and showed that they can certainly sing live .... maybe Ireland's chances of qualifying should be revised upwards!



The wonderful Frederik from Euroband got us dancing into the interval with his Eurovision medley, and then after some much needed refreshment, Christina from Cyprus confounded the critics and sang live...and was quite good. She obviously has put her national final appearance down to nerves and sang Firefly very well in London. Johanna from Iceland was, as expected, perfect! So much so, Paddy asked her to sing again acapella which we all loved!
Jessica Garlick (UK 2002) was up next and sang several tracks including her 3rd palced entry...and let us know that she would love to do Eurovision again....what a good idea! Maybe it's time for Jessica to "Come Back" and represent the UK in 2010?

The Balkan Girl herself - Elena - was up next and gave a very lively rendition of her song, even if it was mimed. However, the clear star of the night rounded off proceedings - Svetlana from Ukraine stole the show (several times over) with her raunchy performance of Be My Valentine, surrounded by four dancers who were almost wearing clothes!
Although not one of our fave songs, this certainly could be one to watch in Moscow - if the Scala fans are anything to go by! Having been showered with water form her stage act, we stood back a bit to avoid any more drownings from Ms Loboda! Here are a couple of images to whet your appetite!





So, not long now until the real event in Moscow, and what a great kick-start last night was!

Here we come SCALA!

The 2nd UK Eurovision Preview Party is taking place tomorrow and we are getting very excited about it.

Artists will be meeting the media in the Green Room during the evening. Naturally, Eurovision Express will have it's own VIP area where any or all of the following Eurovision acts may come and chat to us...
Lidia - Poland
Svetlana Loboda - Ukraine
Yohanna - Iceland
Christina Metaxa - Cyprus
Elena - Romania
Krassimir - Bulgaria
Sinéad Mulvey & Black Daisy - Ireland
Fridrik Omar (Euroband) - Iceland
Jessica Garlick - UK 2002
Imaani - UK 1998

If you still don't have your ticket, some will be available on the door, but organisers recommend purchasing tickets in advance through the official event website at www.ukeurovision.com.

The UKeurovision Preview Party takes place once again at Scala, Kings Cross, London on Friday 17th April.